Canada Goose sparks controversy in China for ‘bullying’ customers with alleged discriminatory return policy

December 3, 2021

A popular Canadian luxury winter clothing brand has angered consumers and protection groups in China over its alleged discriminatory return policy.

No refunds: Just months after being fined 450,000 yuan (around $70,000) by Chinese regulators for misleading advertising, Canada Goose has sparked another controversy following a customer’s online complaint that the company declined to refund her 11,400 yuan ($1,790) jacket, reported South China Morning Post.

In her social media post, the customer from Shanghai claimed she tried to return the item she purchased in October after finding issues with its smell and errors in its embroidered logo.
The customer said that when she bought her jacket, she was told to sign an exchange policy stating that all products sold in Chinese stores were non-refundable “unless otherwise provided by applicable laws.”
The customer’s post went viral and angered local social media users, who threatened to boycott the brand, according to state-run Global Times.
When asked about the policy, Canada Goose told Reuters that based on Chinese law, customers are eligible for a refund within 14 days if the product has craftsmanship defects.
According to the company’s website in China, however, customers may return items to the store where they were purchased within 30 days. Returns must meet certain return conditions, such as being unworn, unwashed and having the original tags still intact.

Bullying consumers: On Thursday, Canada Goose received an online lashing in an article from the China Consumer Association (CCA), which accused the company of “bullying” customers.

The government-backed group wrote: “If you don’t do what you say, regard yourself as a big brand, behave arrogantly and in a superior way, adopt discriminatory policies, be condescending and bully customers, you will for sure lose the trust of consumers and be abandoned by the market.”
On Wednesday, state-owned platform CCTV took to WeChat to call the company “arrogant.”
The Shanghai Consumer Council, which met with brand representatives on Wednesday, noted that it is set for a second meeting with company officials next week to clarify its return policies in China.

Featured Image via Tanker Collaborative

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